Ayesha wants Chicken Tikka !!

SCENE 3: SHE WANTS CHICKEN TIKKA

Ayesha is standing outside the restaurant, red and bubbling with
anger. She constantly keeps looking at her watch. Omar is late by ten
minutes. She's wearing fitting, blue denim jeans, a loose red colored
check shirt and (some colour) Converse sneakers. Her hair is open,
falling all over her face. Her face is plain except for her eyes,
which are covered with lots of kohl, and she is wearing green bangles
on her wrists.

There is a counter with a few waiters and a few tables with menu cards and napkin holders on the other side of the stage.

Omar finally reaches panting and sweating.

Ayesha (furious) You’re late!

Omar (gasping for air) Yeah, I missed the bus so I had to…

Ayesha (disgusted) You’re the kind who thinks turning up late is ‘cool’, don’t you? I’ve seen guys like you, you guys feel making someone wait for you would drive them desperate to meet you and then you’d be like this hunk who has girls waiting for him and going all gaga when you arrive. But that’s not happening here Mr. Hunk! I hate late comers. If you can’t value time, you can’t value anything else in life. (Breathes out loudly)

Omar (desperately) Ayesha, Ayesha! (holds her by her shoulders) Breathe female, you forget breathing while you’re talking. Calm down! (pauses) I wasn’t trying to make you go ‘gaga’ over me. I didn’t expect you to be here on times. I thought (checks her out from bottom to top) you’d take time to dress up.

Ayesha Time to dress up? We aren’t going to a wedding, are we? I don’t take too long to dress up.

Omar I can see that. Do you always wear such clothes?

Ayesha (offended) Why? What’s wrong with my clothes?

Omar (sarcastically) Nothing, they’re good. You look like such a girl.

Ayesha You don’t want me to start off with my rants again, do you?

Omar (smiles) Lets go eat, I’m starving!

They are seated and start browsing through the menu.

Ayesha (staring at the menu card clueless) Omar, what’s your favorite cuisine?

Omar Ummm, I like KFC and Nando’s the best.

Ayesha (arrogantly) Cuisine, not restaurant chains. Anyway, mine is Italian. I just love lasagna. Do you like Lasagna?

Omar (makes a face) Ewww, no! I hate Italian food!

Ayesha (surprised) Really? What about Chinese? I love Chinese!

Omar (disgusted) I don’t understand how you people eat such stuff, I can’t even bear the smell. Makes me sick! (Shudders)

Ayesha Thai?

Omar Nope!

Ayesha French?

Omar Yuck!

Ayesha Vietnamese?

Omar pretends to be puking and makes gagging sounds.

Ayesha Is there anything apart from Nando’s and KFC you like.

Omar I like Indian food. Especially Chicken Tikka. That’s my favorite dish.

Ayesha (excited) Oh god! That’s my favorite dish too. I love it, I just simply love it! It’s the best thing in the world (her volume starts increasing and the pitch of her voice rises). My dad loves Chicken Tikka as well, and so does my brother and my mom makes the best Chicken Tikka in the entire world. It’s so funny, Chicken Tikka could be the signature dish of my family (starts laughing loudly)

People at the restaurant begin to turn in the direction of the noise. Omar hides his face with his hands.

Ayesha (animatedly) Omar! You know what’s fun?

Omar (skeptically) Wh…What?

Ayesha Hot Tikka with Cold beer in London! In fact, I’ve decided what I want for lunch.

Omar Don’t say ‘Chicken Tikka’. Please don’t say Chicken…

Ayesha Chicken Tikka, I want Chicken Tikka!

Omar (laughing with disbelief) Chicken Tikka at Nando’s? Ayesha, they don’t serve that stuff here.

Ayesha (adamantly) I know, but I want to have Chicken Tikka. And I shall have nothing but Chicken Tikka. Let’s go some other place? Southall maybe?

 Omar Ayesha, Southall is an hour away. I’m starving!

Ayesha (stands up and picks her bag) I’m going Southall, you’re most welcome to tag along if you wish. I want Chicken Tikka, and I want it now! I’m leaving. Are you coming with me?

Omar No, I’m staying here!

Ayesha You sure?

Omar Hell yeah!

Ayesha walks away and stands outside the restaurant knowing Omar would follow. Omar mutters under his breath and follows Ayesha with his shoulders slouched and his head hanging low.